Michigan Basketball: Derrick Walton deserves his chance with Pistons
Derrick Walton was one of the best players during the John Beilein era at Michigan basketball and it’s good to see him get a shot with the Detroit Pistons.
As far as the John Beilein era with Michigan basketball is concerned, there are few players that bring up better memories than Derrick Walton Jr.
Sure, he didn’t win a national championship during his time with the Wolverines or even play for one, but he was part of a team in 2014 that won the Big Ten championship and advanced to the Elite 8, while also being part of the magical Big Ten tournament run in 2017.
That tournament was sort of the kickstart of the final great run of the Beilein era, which sadly, ended when John left for the NBA, which as we know now, didn’t turn out so well.
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But as one man with Michigan ties is leaving the association, another is getting back in and that’s Walton, who has spent time with the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA.
This season, Walton started the season with Clippers and actually played pretty well. He averaged 9.7 minutes in 23 games and averaged just 2.3 points, however, he shot the ball well and 42 percent from 3-point range before he was traded to the Hawks, who later released him.
Now, Walton, who earned his way into the NBA through the G-League and being a two-way player, is going to get a 10-day contract with the Pistons, the team closest to his old stomping grounds at Michigan basketball.
That likely has nothing to do with it. Walton is getting a look because he can nail shots in the pick-and-roll and the Pistons are shorthanded. Yet, it only takes a few games to make an impression.
Trey Burke was once on his way out of the league when a 10-day contract with the Knicks eventually turned into another contract. Hopefully, the same thing happens for Walton, who will always be one of my favorite Michigan basketball players.
The way he played over those four days at the Big Ten tournament was insane and he nearly carried the Wolverines back to the Elite 8, before a game-winning shot attempt against Oregon went awry.
It’s good to see him getting another chance and maybe, just maybe, this time around, he will find a way to stick.